Class Act: Student with autism earns rank of Eagle Scout

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KELLER — Overcoming the limitations that others see in you is a big time challenge, but it’s what makes Paul Cutler our Class Act of the Week.

Paul is a senior at Keller High. As a child, he was diagnosed with autism and the doctors gave his life a grim perspective.

“They told me, number one, that he would never speak, that he had lost that ability,” Theresa Cutler, Paul’s mother, recounted. “He would never be able to make it in a typical school setting and that I would really need to start looking at places to put him because his violence level was only going to increase and he was only going to get worse.”

But since then, Paul has defied every expectation, becoming one of the most well-liked and respected students around.

“He is so loving, he’s a big hugger and he’s absolutely brilliant,” Scott Reynolds, a teacher at Keller High. “His incredible work ethic has helped him not only in high school, it’s helped him in scouting, it’s helped him in life and it’s to my mind one of the main reasons he is going to succeed at whatever he puts his mind to.”

And one of those things is earning the rank of Eagle Scout.

“It was pretty tough,” said Paul. “We have special merit badges called white ringers. Those are required for Eagle. We had to do First Aid, Emergency Prep, know about family life communications, etc.”

Not only that, but Paul now serves as a senior patrol leader for other Boy Scouts and with college just around the corner, you better believe he’ll keep on going far beyond where anyone thought he could.